For the Man Who has Everything
by JMD-009
Summary: Magic was welcomed in the kingdom and a peaceful Albion was finally taking shape. He had a loving wife and a beautiful, mischievous daughter and he adored them both. Everything was perfect. It felt so right, but why did it also feel so wrong?


**Disclaimer:** Merlin is property of its respective owners. The only thing I can lay claim to is the insanity that is my own mind.

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**For the Man Who has Everything**

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Morning sunlight filtered in the room and the familiar weight on his chest groaning and tightening her hold on him in stubborn denial roused Merlin from slumber. Awareness came to him unhurriedly and he gave a lazy smile as the weight buried her head in the crook of his neck attempting to deny the sun its victory.

Slowly Merlin opened his eyes and kissed the top of the head that filled his vision. He felt her lips quirk in a smile and a soft kiss on his shoulder in response. Gently he brushed the hair from her face and smiled down lovingly at the vision of beauty pillowed upon him.

Abruptly an image of himself hanging from chains in a hovel appeared before his eyes. She had one hand on his abdomen and the other on the back of his neck as he writhed in agony. Just as quickly as it appeared the vision was gone and Merlin shook thought of it away.

He must have been more tired than he thought. The one time he had allowed Morgana to tie him up was a much more pleasant memory then that.

Looking back down at the woman in his arms Merlin saw she had slipped back into a deeper sleep, having defeated the invading sun with a contented smile on her lips. Resolving to join her Merlin closed his eyes. He tuned out the morning songs of the birds outside and the sounds of a world getting ready for the day that drifted in through the open window. Instead he concentrated on the steady rhythm of the breath that tickled his neck, letting it lull him deeper and deeper under.

"It's morning time!" came a sudden exuberant yell; his only warning before a weight solidly landed on his stomach. With a start Merlin's eyes flew open and sat up, dislodging the woman who had been peacefully slumbering on his shoulder. He met a pair of blue eyes exactly like his own sparkling with mischief and groaned.

"Megan." It was suppose to carry note of warning but came out more amused then anything else.

"Good morning, Daddy," came the cheeky reply from the dark haired little girl sitting comfortably on his lap.

Morgana sat up with a mock serious expression on her face, but a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Megan," she said. "What have we said about abusing Daddy?"

The five year old tapped her finger against her lips in thought and Merlin couldn't help but wonder where she picked up that gesture. "It's fun?"

Morgana just shook her head and opened arms that the little girl practically flew into. "Morning, Sweetheart."

"Good Morning, Mommy."

"Sorry," Gwen's voice came from the doorway and when Merlin looked over at her the little grin she couldn't quite keep off her face told him she wasn't all that sorry at all. "I told her to let you sleep in. I know how late the two of you have been staying up with Arthur to get ready for the Druids this afternoon."

"It's fine, Gwen," Morgana said, pausing to kiss the top of Megan's head. "You're her Aunt not her nursemaid."

"Nevertheless, we should let you get some sleep," Gwen told them before sending a beckoning finger in the little girl's direction. "Besides, I love spending time with my niece."

Megan gave her mother a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning and doing the same to her father. "You know," Merlin said as he picked his daughter up by the waist and set her down next to the bed. "Since you woke us up I think it is only fair that your Uncle Arthur gets a 'good morning' too, don't you think?"

Gwen shook her head at the mischief in Merlin's voice. "And just what do you think she's going to say when he asks whose idea it was?"

Again Megan tapped a finger to her lips before answering. "Gwaine did it."

Merlin let out a bark of laughter and heard Morgana snicker beside him. He placed an affectionate kiss on her head before sending her off to her waiting aunt. It was when she took Gwen's hand and he saw them side to side that Merlin noticed something else that caused his amusement to rise.

"New dress, Sweetheart?" he asked, causing the little girl to beam at her father and nod excitedly.

"Well, you look very pretty," Morgana told her and Megan sent a bright smile back before pointedly looking down at her dress, up at her aunt's face, and back again, drawing attention to the identical purple dresses they were wearing. "And Auntie Gwen looks pretty as well," she added.

Gwen smiled at them innocently before leading the little girl out of the room and closing the door.

Merlin laid back down chuckling under his breath. Sometimes he thinks Gwen and Arthur spoil that little girl more than he and Morgana do. He closed his eyes and settled back into his pillow. If he had another few hours of uninterrupted rest coming his way he was going to make the most of it.

He felt a weight shift beside him before Morgana spoke. "It would seem we have a rare moment to ourselves."

Merlin couldn't help but let out a contented groan at that. "It'll be nice to catch up on some sleep."

"Well, I suppose we could sleep." The huskiness in her voice caused Merlin's eyes to fly open and he saw Morgana propped up on one elbow, the strap of her nightgown having slipped down to reveal her bare shoulder and a delightfully wicked smirk on her lips. "Or we could find some other way to occupy our time."

"Sleep is overrated," was all Merlin said before trying his level best to kiss that smirk from her lips.


End file.
